Should Girl Scouts Sell Online?

Kurt Soller asks in Newsweek, “by banning online sales, are the Girl Scouts failing our daughters?” 8-year-old Wild Freeborn became a Girl Scout earlier this year, and set out to sell 12,000 boxes of the organization’s cookies. As a smart and forward thinking kid she decided to use the internet to increase her sales. With the help of her dad she posted a YouTube video, starring Freeborn in Girl Scout gear, touting her straightforward sales pitch. “Buy cookies! And they’re yummy!” and set up an online order system that was limited to customers within their local area (so Freeborn could personally deliver them). It worked, but she got in trouble because the organization has a longstanding prohibition of online sales.

I can understand the safety concerns, but the Girl Scouts (and every other youth group) have to be encouraging their kids to utilize the internet. What do you think? How important are internet skills to you? Similarly, Anastasia points out on YPulse that Saving Journalism Should Begin In High Schools – is your high school teaching kids internet schools?